[GreenKeys] Ribbons and reusing spools
Ralph Irish
w8roi at wowway.com
Wed Mar 27 17:47:00 EDT 2013
I seem to recall some problems some people had when trying to 're-spool' ribbon material
onto spools. Some machines had two little 'spikes' on the ribbon spindle where the ribbon(s)
sat, and this required a spool with four or six holes around the center hole. Some ribbons
and spools came with five holes, and would not properly sit on the spindle.
I don't know how many different models/types this affected. I do remember having to re-spool
new ribbons from 'five-hole spools' to six hole spools to get them to sit on my machine. It
would be proper and possible to drill an extra hole if one wanted to, and end the problem for
all times, as far as that one spool was concerned. If you see a 'bargain price' on ribbons
and have visual access to them, you might want to first see if just any old spool will fit on
your machine. If your spindle has only one small spike to engage the spool for rotation, you
are all set. You can use most any spool of the correct diameter.
DIAMETER: That's another caution!
Some computer printers of old used spools larger than will fit on most teletype machines. If
you end up with these, get ready to re-spool and maybe shorten the ribbon. This will require
some means of putting in a 'reversing rivet' and end of ribbon clip. Not all spools have the
'spike' to puncture the ribbon to hold on to it.
Somewhere around here I have a flock of ribbon material with green ink on it. I bought this
when I had a computer printer that would not take multi-colored ribbons for color printing.
Some programs allowed one to change the ribbon color a few times and re-run the paper through
for nice color effects. Back then, 95% of the paper used was sprocket feed, so getting the
paper back to 'start' was not all that difficult. One program I had would actually move the
paper back to the start point and put a message on the screen to change the color to the next
one. Three passes was about my limit of patience! I don't remember what became of the other
colors. I think that the green would look OK on paper that is near-white in color. It would
look OK on 'canary' paper also.
Ralph - W8ROI
- - - - - - - -
On Mar 27, 2013, at 4:41 PM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 3. Re: Teletype ribbons (John Nagle)
>
> 5. Re: Teletype ribbons (Richard Knoppow)
>
>
>
>
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:19:38 -0700
> From: John Nagle <nagle at animats.com>
> To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Teletype ribbons
> Message-ID: <5153545A.70002 at animats.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> On 3/27/2013 11:51 AM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 3/27/2013 8:47:14 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
>> Til128 at aol.com writes:
>>
>> I swear by (not at) these people!
>> _http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388_
>> (http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388)
>> It says purple but they send black.
>> And at a buck sixty nine for 6, it's a steal!
>>
>> Plastic spools. Might want to save your metal ones.
>
> I've updated my Teletype supplies page.
>
> http://www.aetherltd.com/supplies.html
>
> I'm currently trying Scantracker SC-73 (black) ribbons.
> Metal spools, and blacker printing than the Nukote
> B76 ribbons. I'm not sure how long the life is, so I
> have a Model 15 printing away.
>
> They're especially good for the Model 14 tape printers with
> that paper tape I sell. That's rice-paper tape, stronger than
> the original newsprint tape, but not as ink-absorbing. With
> a B76 ribbon, the typing wasn't as dark as it should be.
> The Scantracker ribbon produces a nice black.
>
> I don't have any late-model Teletypes, so I can't suggest
> what works best in then.
>
> John Nagle
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:33:39 -0700
> From: "Richard Knoppow" <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
> To: <nagle at animats.com>, <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Teletype ribbons
> Message-ID: <0F11E2F2EC8F4A91912DED1C49522A40 at VALUED20606295>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Nagle" <nagle at animats.com>
> To: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 1:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Teletype ribbons
>
>
>> On 3/27/2013 11:51 AM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net
>> wrote:
>>
>>> In a message dated 3/27/2013 8:47:14 A.M. Mountain
>>> Standard Time,
>>> Til128 at aol.com writes:
>>>
>>> I swear by (not at) these people!
>>> _http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388_
>>> (http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388)
>>> It says purple but they send black.
>>> And at a buck sixty nine for 6, it's a steal!
>>>
>>> Plastic spools. Might want to save your metal ones.
>>
>> I've updated my Teletype supplies page.
>>
>> http://www.aetherltd.com/supplies.html
>>
>> I'm currently trying Scantracker SC-73 (black) ribbons.
>> Metal spools, and blacker printing than the Nukote
>> B76 ribbons. I'm not sure how long the life is, so I
>> have a Model 15 printing away.
>>
>> They're especially good for the Model 14 tape printers
>> with
>> that paper tape I sell. That's rice-paper tape, stronger
>> than
>> the original newsprint tape, but not as ink-absorbing.
>> With
>> a B76 ribbon, the typing wasn't as dark as it should be.
>> The Scantracker ribbon produces a nice black.
>>
>> I don't have any late-model Teletypes, so I can't suggest
>> what works best in then.
>>
>> John Nagle
>>
> I thought most Teletype machines use the same ribbon as
> used in standard, office size, Underwood typewriters. This
> size ribbon and spools are used in a ton of different
> typewriters, probably the most common size. Teletype ribbons
> may differ in some way because they mostly got much heavier
> use the even office typewriters but the strength of the
> impact of the type bars should not be much different.
> Sometimes typewriters punch holes in the ribbon and paper
> due to hardened platens or mis-adjustment of the spacing of
> the type bar stops. In any case, there are many sources of
> typewriter ribbons although I understand that most are made
> by a single company and sold in long rolls which are cut
> down by the retailer.
> Old style metal spools are getting hard to find but can
> be reused forever.
>
>
> --
> Richard Knoppow
> Los Angeles
> WB6KBL
> dickburk at ix.netcom.com
>
>
>
>
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> End of GreenKeys Digest, Vol 110, Issue 97
> ******************************************
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